Ship propelled by internal combustion engine



w. HEFTI 1,816,371

SHIP PROPELLED BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE July :3, 1931.

Filed June '13, 1930 l N\/ENTEI R (UM MW BY QM b IIM YCQQM, ATTEIRN EY Patented my 28, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WTLHELM HEFTI, 0F WINTERTH'UR, SWITZERLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE FIRM OF SULZER FRERES SOCIETE ANONYME, OF WINTERTHUR, SWITZERLAND A V SHIP PROPELLE'D BY INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE Application Med Jun 13, 1930, Serial No.

This invention relates to ships propelled by internal combustion engines of the kind in which the discharge end of the exhaust pipe is submerged or below the normal water level, and is particularly applicable to ships of the aircraft carrier type having a large, unbroken deck surface. r

According to this invention the immersed end of the exhaust pipe is wholly or partly surrounded by a nozzle through which water p under pressure is discharged into the sea so as to form a bafile or screen which will diminish the back pressure and prevent any sea water entering the open end of the pipe;

The outlet end of the exhaust pipe from the engine is preferably led first upwards to such a height above'the normal water level that the sea or other water in which the vessel is being navigated'cannot enter the exhaust pipe and so damage the engine due to the motion of the sea forming in the exhaust pipe a depression or partial vacuum.

sure owing to heavy seas.

. A ship according to this invention is preferably so arranged that the products ofcombustion are discharged simultaneously on both sides of the ship and these two separate exhaust pipes are connected together so as to ensure the products of .combustion escaping from at least one side of the ship should the outlet on the opposite side be temporarily obstructed.

One construction according to this invention is diagrammatically illustrated by way of example in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a cross-section of an aircraft carrier ship furnished with two sets of driving engines each arranged in pairs, and

Figure 2 is a diagram on an enlargedscale showing the means for discharging water 460,944, and in Switzerland June 14, 1929. i 2

under pressure around or adjacent to the exhaust pipe. 1

In the construction shown in Figure 1 the normal water level is indicated at 1, the hull of the ship 2 being shown as having a flying deck'8 upon which aeroplanescan land and from which they can take off and with lower decks 4c} and '5 serving to accommodate'air- 1 craftor repair shops. 7

In the engine room 6 fourinternal com-. bustion engines 7, 8, 9 and 10 are provided, the exhaust ports of the engines 7 and 8 communicating through a branch pipe 11 with a common exhaust pipe 12 leading into a silencer 13 provided with an outlet branch 14 which is normally submerged as its open end is below the normal water level. Similarly the exhaust ports of the engines 9 and 10 communicate by means of a branch 15 with a common exhaust pipe 16 communicating with a silencer 17 of which the outlet opening 18 is also immersed. A pipe 19 serves to connect the two main exhaust pipes 12and -16and the silencers may be provided with baflie plates similar to those indicated a .at 20 for the silencer 17 e The path of the gases from the engines 9 and 10 is indicated by the arrows 21,22, 23, 24 and'25 and the air to support combustion for the engines may be drawn through the louvre-like shutters 26 as shown by the arrows 27 so that the air flows over the walls of the silencers and exhaust pipes into-the engine room. The upper ends of. Y the silencers 31 and 32 are furnished with inlet and the exhaust gases of the other engines Both silencers to their adjacent silencer 17. not only serve to reduce the noise of the engines should the open ends of the exhaust branches come above the water but further serve to'prevent sparks being formed or scattered and absolutely to preclude any chance of the sea from entering the engines through'the open ends of the exhaust pipes. If, for example, the engines 9 and 10 are all" not working, the contents of the exhaust pipes 15 and 16 and of the silencer 17 Will cool to such an extent that there is a tendency for sea Water to be drawn in through the open end of the exhaust pipe 18. Before, however, the sea can reach the open end of the exhaust pipe 28 within the eilencer 17 the automatic. inlet valves in the cover 32 will open owing to the formation of a depression in "the silencer 17 so that the exhaust pipe'28 can be filled with air which will prevent the rise-ofsea water .in the pipe 28 and the consequent risk of this Water reaching :the LGDgiHQS. ,Any known form of inlet or suction valve may be provided in :the cover the silencer.

Should the ship roll or heel rover owing to heavy seas one on"? the "exhaust pipes 14- 01 '18 may :come out of the Water and the monmail depth to which :the other exhaust pipe immersed will be appreciably in- :oneasedl. In such a case instead of the exhaust ases f roin one pair of engines, for

examp e the engines .7 and f8 escaping through their adjacent silencer =13 and'ex- 'haust pipe '14 they -will pass into the atmoephere through the pipe 19, silencer 17 and exhaust pipe 18. For this purpose the .oonnecting member T1 9 and the pipes which conneots :are so "dimensioned theft the ear hzmst gases firom both engines can be temporaril y discharged through one -or other of the exhaust pipes and silencers should necessity arise.

In Figure the outlet end of the exhaust 18 is shown in plan on an enlarged scale sum ounded by *a water jacket 29 to which water mnder pressure is supplied .the pipe 330. This water is preferably discharged in the :fonin of an aimitlar column surrounding the exhaust branchso -as to deifleot the sea WEUl GI' 'iroun the open end of the exhaust "pipe and permit the exhaust gases to escape fireel-y into the sea water. "Eh-us (the water under pressure acts as 'a screen rfor the exhaust branch and reduces the hydraulic baok pressure which the exhaust gases have to overcome owing to the open end of the exhaust pipe bel-ng Jimenersecl. Instead of the jet of: Water cornlpletely surrounding 'the exhaust branch it :may be discharged adjacent to the exhaust pipe forward or in advance thereof with relation (to the normal direction of travel :soas .toscreen the open \Blll of athe pipe from the sea water.

Preterzibly the cooling Water from the engines is :used to act as a screen in the above manner which is of advantage as it necessitates malkingonly one-opening in the hu ll (of :the ship, a point :o'f considerable advantage in the case or armoured ships. The water in the jackets 29 further protects "the engine moom firom becoming overheated by radiation from :the exhaust pipe.

By drawing the air to support combustion through the louvres 26 ventilation of the engine room in hot climates is assisted and in colder climates only a proportion of the air is preferably drawn through these lou- .v-resythe remaining rbeing d'raw'n directly *firom the atmosphere.

In a modification according to this invention one or both of the silencers 13 or 17 may project above the aircraft deck, the cover of the silencer instead of or "in addition to the suction valves being provided with relief valves. Such an arrangement is of adazantage isf the ship has. to :travel in heavy seas in a path at right angles to the direction of the Waves as two successive mountainous Waves ma 7 s'ianu ltaneousay increase the normal pressure to which both the exhaust pipes -14 an d 18 are exposed that there the :case ofmvostroke engines, of the engines being stopped.

XV-hen the pressure to which both the exhaust pipes are simultaneously exposed exceeds predeterin-ined pressure, for instance two :meters Waiter column, :the relief valves in the covers of the silencers will open to permit the escape of the products of combusti'on. As this will only happen when a very heavy sea is running and then only in particularly un-favourable cases in which flgying is impossible the occasional discharge of the exhaust gases through the check valves avil'l not in Way interfere with fiy'ing. T

A ship aocordingto this invention en'albles the exhaust gases 'to be discharged in a Way which c loes not interfere with the flying deck or ineoiwenience the ship' s crew. F u-n ther, the riskof fi-re which is always present in an aircraft :carrier on account of the lange stores of petroll which must 'be carried, is reduced owing to'the 'manner "in 'Which the products 0 f combustion are discharged.

It is to be appreciated that the invention is not limited to the particular construction illustrated and that the number and general arrangement J of the engines may be modified at will.

I claim: i

Am aircraft carrier or other s'h ip propelled by internal combustion engines with itheopen 'end of the exhaust pipe submerged, (characterized by the "immersed end of the exhaust pipe lbeing Wholly or partly surrounded by a nozzle through which Water minder pressure is discharged so as to screen the open end of the exhaust pipe from the sea Water.

2. An aircraft carrier or other ship ipropolled by internal combustion engines as claimed in claim 1, characterized by the eX- haust pipe from the engine being lec'l first upwards to such a height above the normal water level that the "sea or other water canmay he a serious risk, particularly :in

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not enter the exhaust pipe or pass to the engine either Owing to heavy seas or of a partial vacuum occurs in the exhaust pipe.

3. A ship propelled by internal combustion engines as claimed in claim 1, in which means are provided by which air is automatically admitted into the exhaust pipe so as to check the advance of the sea water,

up the p'pe should a partial formed therein.

4. An aircraft carrier as claimed in claim 1, in which the upper end of the silencer or the highest oint of the exhaust pipe projects a ove t e flying deck.

vacuum be 5. A ship propelled by internal combustion enginesas claimed in claim 1 in which the products of combustion are dischar'ged on both sides of the ship, and when two or more engines are employed the separate exhaust pipes being connected together in the manner and for the purpose described.

In testimonywhereof I have aflixed my signature. I

. WILHELM 'HEFTI. 

